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Urban Underground: Harriet Tubman HS Series
"Outrunning The Darkness" by Anne Schraff= Between his father's pessimistic moods and his father's "put on a happy face" attitude, Jaris Spain feels trapped. He hides his own darkness from his parents: how hard he has to work for good grades, how quickly a teacher's pen stroke sends him slipping, how he tries out for every sport at Tubman and fails. And then there is Sereeta's scorn # "Shadows of Guilt" by Anne Schraff= Maya Archer is at the wrong place at the wrong time when "pop, pop, pop" sounds hang out in front of a popular teen hangout. Is DeWayne Pike the true target? Does he duck before the shots ring out as Jacklyn claims? If true, DeWayne is putting them all at risk, but especially Sereeta, and Jaris Spain is determined to discover the truth # "A Boy Called Twister" by Anne Schraff= Kevin Walker will be a loner at Tubman High. He doesn't want anyone asking him too many questions about his mover from Texas. His terrible secret could destroy any chance of remaining anonymous. Running like the wind helps him forget his troubles. But his star turn on the track team brings a lot of attention # "If You Really Loved Me" by Anne Schraff= Destini Fletcher hates Tubman High from day one. But when Tyron Becker singles her out to be his girl, Destini is thrilled. Unfortunately, he scorns her budding friendship with Alonee, Jaris, and Sami, and he belittles her attempts to earn good grades. Even worse, his bitter jealousy and nasty temper makes her an easy target. # "One of Us" by Anne Schraff= In the alley on his way home from work, Derrick Shaw witnesses a murder. To save his life, Derrick promises not to reveal the identity of the shooter, a former Tubman student. But he feels sick and guilty about his vow of silence. It would have been easier if Rafe Wexford was a gangbager, shot dead, but Rafe was a good guy attending city college. # "Like A Broken Doll" by Anne Schraff= Accusations fly when a string of thefts hit Tubman High School. Suspicion falls on Sereeta Prince, whose family life is unraveling, sending her into a deep depression. Treated like a stranger by her mother, an enemy by her stepfather, and like a thief by her classmates, she retreats to a place where even Jaris is not welcome. # "The Quality of Mercy" by Anne Schraff= At first the vandalism seems petty: a trash can fire, an attempted break in. But that quickly escalates. Who is targeting Mr. Buckingham, a particularly tough and aloof science teacher? Oliver insists that Alonee takes a leap of faith and trust his instincts. She isn't so sure # "The Fairest' by Anne Schraff= The Princess of the Fair contest is supposed to infuse and inspire students with school spirit. The winner should embody the qualities of Harriet Tubman, the schools namesake. But everyone knows it will turn into a nasty popularity contest where mean girls like Jasmine Benson will stop at nothing to win # "To Be A Man" by Anne Schraff= Trevor's mother was dead set against Vanessa Allen. Trevor knew the old angry frown would come quickly if she learned that Trevor had been seeing Vanessa behind her back. Even his brother Tommy thought the high school dropout was bad news. But Trevor was almost a man, and he wasn't listening to everybody's warnings # "Wildflower" by Anne Schraff= Chelsea Spain bridled under her father's harsh rules. But she was growing up too fast. Someone had to rein her in until she had enough sense to handle herself better. Whenever there was the temptation to take a risk, she went for it. Egged on by her immature friends, was it too late to learn that some risks were just not worth taking? # "The Outcasts" by Anne Schraff= What was Marko thinking training for the track meet alone in the early hours of the morning? The suspicions and accusations began to fly around Tubman High when he was attacked by a baseball bat and left for dead. Kevin Walker made no secret about his hate. And Trevor Jenkins was spotted at the scene # "The Rescuers" by Anne Schraff= On the brink of her freshman year at Tubman High, something clicked in Chelsea's mind. Shadrach rescued animals. And in a way, he saved kids by teaching them respect. Now she and her friends were rescuers by volunteering at the shelter. Jaris was a rescuer too. He was trying to save Sereeta's mom. And maybe Maurice would have to rescue Athena from getting into trouble # "Don't Think About Tomorrow" by Anne Schraff= Lydell Nelson was a senior now, but hardly anyone in the class knew him. During lunch, he was always writing in a journal. Nobody ever bothered to ask him what he was writing, and he never volunteered any information. Lydell seemed to be a lonely person, but when people tried to be friends, he just turned them away. # "See No Evil" by Anne Schraff= Loud talk preceded shouting, and then shots rang out. One boy was lying on the sidewalk. Police were not saying so, but he appeared to be dead. At school on Monday, everybody at Tubman was talking about the Grant Street shooting. As far as anybody could tell, the victim was an innocent bystander # "Out of Love For You" by Anne Schraff= With the state of mind Trevor was in, Vanessa could talk him into anything. Would Vanessa get Trevor involved in crime again? It could happen, only this time Trevor might not be so lucky. But back then, Trevor had had enough brains to dump her. Now he was in deeper. The web Vanessa woven around him was stickier and tighter. # "The One For Me" by Anne Schraff= Denique thought that if she wasn't so messed up in her head, she'd sort of like Trevor. But it would just end badly. So she focused on school. She wanted to graduate and get a job. College was now out of the question. Her family lived in the projects. Denique had to get a job as soon as possible after high school. With her and her mother bringing in money, the family could move to a better, safer place. # "Second Chances" by Anne Schraff= Kevin had been talking about how much he wanted some real money, and that he'd do almost anything to get it. Jaris could sympathize with Kevin wanting to help his grandparents out, but wanting--needing--money that desperately was dangerous. It led to getting mixed up with the wrong crowd. Jaris always thought Cory Yates had drug connections in Los Angeles. He was a two-bit hustler, and he spent way too much time hanging around high schools. # "A Walk In The Park" by Anne Schraff= Jaris and Marko were in a position where they could see through the doorway. The slider was open to let in cool, fresh air. Sereeta was sitting in a chair from the kitchen table. Her hands were bound. An older woman sat in another chair, her hands bound too. The woman looked disheveled. Her face was bruised and swollen. Two little girls huddled in one room, clutching stuffed animals and whimpering. Their eyes wide with terror. # "Facing It" by Anne Schraff= What was the big deal? Oliver Randall was helping out two rocker friends by fronting for their band. He didn't think he was Lil Wayne. That would be arrogant. Weezy was one of a kind. But he was enjoying it more than he thought he would. And he was creating a lot of buzz for the group. Girls were practically throwing themselves at him. Marko Lane wasn't the only one giving him a hard time. Alonee Lennox, his girlfriend, was troubled too. # "If You Were Mine" by Anne Schraff= Jaris was furious. He would never keep a secret from Sereeta. And he was hurt that Trevor thought he was hot for another chick. He hired Amberlynn Parson because he thought she was best for the job. Period. But Jaris kept second-guessing his decision. Trevor stirred up Jaris's self-doubts. Jaris was often unsure of himself anyway. Like Pop, he was always questioning himself. He feared that the girl's looks had influenced him, and that thought bothered him. Category:Book Series Category:American young adult novels